What’s better than a personally crafted v-day card to exchange with your family or loved ones? If you guessed “nothing,” you’ve guessed correct! Here’s a cute and easy design that will let your Valentine know how much you lava them :)

This is what you’ll need:

A black pen or marker

A few colored pens or markers

A blank card or a piece of paper that you can fold in half

First, draw two shapes that resemble a mountain with a flat top.

Then, draw two oval openings.

Now, draw what you think lava dripping onto a volcano would look like. I like to go over the lava again with my marker to make it look like it’s not apart of the mountain.

Now, draw your first set of eyes. I added eyelashes to mine because they make her look so cute!

Now draw a mouth! And also with your colored pens or markers, add some detail. I added flowers, grass and rose-colored cheeks.

The felt returns. Are you excited as I am?! Over the Holidays, I had a full week of nothing but felt crafts and I kind of fell in love with felt. So I decided to pull out my stash for the love holiday and make a cute Fringed Felt Heart, perfect for the upcoming Valentine's Day!

You will need:

Empty Cereal Box

Assorted Colors of Felt

Glue Gun

Scissors

Ruler

Marker

Bakers Twine

Cut up your cereal box in the shape you desire. I made a heart and it was so quick, I also made two diamonds later. Using your gorgeous ruler(I swear #officesuppliesaremycrack), mark off your basic widths for each color of felt.

Next, cut the strips of felt and fringe away. And finally, using a glue gun, start at the bottom and slowly adhere the felt to your shape.

When you are done, you will be left with non-descript felt blob. Simply, turn over your shape and cut the felt down per the cardboard edges.

Step 2: Prep for your DIY by laying a tarp or cloth flat over the area where you'll be dyeing. Wearing gloves, mix concentrated dye with water, according to the instructions on the container. Submerge two-thirds of the jeans in the dye bath. Let them soak for 20 to 30 seconds, then remove them.

Step 3: As soon as you remove the jeans from the dye bath, lay them flat so the dye doesn't run. Wait about a minute.

Step 4: With the jeans still mostly wet, dip the top third of the jeans back into the bucket, submerging for 3 to 4 minutes or until the desired color is achieved. (Remember, they'll look much lighter when dry!)

Step 5: Once you've achieved a color gradation you like, let the jeans sit for about a minute. Then, rinse them in a bucket of clean, lukewarm water, making the water colder relatively quickly. Do this until the water runs clear.

Step 6: When the jeans are clean, remove them from the cold water and wring them out to remove any excess water.

Step 7: Check for any additional instructions on your dye to make sure it sets properly. Lay your jeans flat one more time, and wait for them to dry. This will take a few hours, so don't cancel your evening plans. By the next morning, your perfect dip-dye will be ready!

Every year in my art class we make ofrendas for Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Dia de los Muertos is a holiday for people to honor and celebrate the lives of people they were close to or admired. The Mexican holiday is celebrated November 1 and November 2 of every year. Something unique about the holiday is the happiness of it; instead of it being a grim holiday, it is a festive time to keep the memories of those who have passed alive.

Many people enjoy the tradition of making ofrendas, or altars to honor loved ones. You can make one for a pet, a family member, or a favorite artist that is no longer here. I think this is a great project for all times of the year, so here’s a way to make your very own mini ofrenda:

Materials:

Empty Altoid tin

Spray paint

white glue

Scrapbook paper

Paint

Sandpaper

Hot glue gun

Ephemera or memorabilia: Photos of person to honored; 3-D and flat objects that connect to that person.

Instructions:

Spray paint your Altoid box. Spray paint sticks to the material of the tin, so it's an easy way to get rid of distinctive branding.

Decorate the inside with scrapbook paper or paint. Since the Altoid logo is embossed, scrapbook paper is the way to cover up the letters. Adhere this with liquid white glue. If you want to paint, though, make sure you sand the surface first.

Begin to decorate box with ephemera. You can make objects with clay or buy miniatures. There are no rules from here on, just a few tips:

If you want your box to close, be conscious of where you place objects.

Keep the importance of negative space in mind, too.

Choose things that represent the person’s personality.

Hot glue is your friend. But be careful!

Play with texture and light: add ribbons, fabric, or even glitter.

Add a small note to the person you honored on the side of your box.

Display your ofrenda and see if there are any Dia de los Muertos celebrations going on near your town!

This year I chose to honor the artist Frida Kahlo, whose artwork and strength have always inspired me. Here’s my box:

Since many people traditionally honor the dead with altars, I created a small one inside my box, complete with candles and fruit.

This is an incredibly fun project that can be as simple or as complicated as you like, so give it a try!